CFCC to expand in Burgaw
Pender County to help college fund building renovations
![Students work on a welding project during class at Cape Fear Community College's North Campus in 2017. Financial help from the Pender County Commissioners will help CFCC renovate two buildings in Burgaw to help the school expand its offerings to include more trade classes like welding. [STARNEWS FILE PHOTO]](/gcdn/authoring/2019/10/21/NSTN/ghows-NC-956de347-3637-1e02-e053-0100007f8526-350a80b8.jpeg?width=660&height=441&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
PENDER COUNTY -- First Matthew. Then Florence. Then Dorian.
The succession of hurricanes that brought havoc to large swaths of Pender County had lessons to teach, and, earlier this month, elected officials there demonstrated that they learned from the destructive visitations.
The Pender County Commissioners have approved another $300,000 to enable Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) to buy a $576,000, 2.9-acre tract of land that houses two buildings adjacent to its current Early College facility on Industrial Drive. The commissioners have already allocated about $276,000 to CFCC in the 2019-20 budget approved in June.
One of the more important hurricane lessons was to point out the relative lack of trade professionals in the county, County Manager Chad McEwen said in an interview after the Oct. 7 meeting, and the supplemental allocation to CFCC is geared toward vocational classes to address that shortcoming.
“Cape Fear Community College is excited to expand our footprint in Burgaw,” said college spokeswoman Sonya Johnson. “This expansion will allow us to provide more educational and training opportunities for the citizens of Pender County.
“CFCC is expanding into the former Mojotone facility, which is adjacent to CFCC’s existing Burgaw Center,” she added. “There are two buildings; one is 5,000 square feet and the other is 6,500 square feet. CFCC has completed the upfit of one building to include two classrooms and light construction labs and is working on lab space for welding and light construction in the rear building."
The college’s continuing education division will offer short-term training opportunities at this facility that can help students find employment.
"These classes are designed so that students can apply the credit they earn with these courses toward a degree at CFCC. should they decide to continue their education," Johnson said.
The first classes will begin in January. The initial offerings and other classes scheduled to begin in spring 2020 include diesel mechanics, welding, HVAC, industrial commercial applications, and production technician training.
“All these courses are in fields where the North Carolina job growth rate is expected to climb in the next few years,” Johnson said.
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